The 12th issue of Akita Shoten’s Young Champion magazine has revealed the main cast and the October premiere date for the television anime adaptation of Kōji Shinasaka’s manga, “Tōhai – Ura Route Mahjong Tōhairoku.
The main cast includes:
Kohsuke Tanabe as Kei
Shunsuke Takeuchi as Tōjima
Fairouz Ai as Amina
The anime is being directed by Jun Hatori at EAST FISH STUDIO, with Mariko Kunisawa overseeing the series scripts. Character designs are handled by Sayaka Anesaki, and the music is composed by Yūsuke Shirato and Yuki Kishida.
Pony Canyon describes the anime as follows:
“Money, women, organs. Kei, a high school boy, frequents the underground mahjong parlor teeming with desires, earning him the moniker ‘K of Ice’ in the underworld due to his cold-hearted strategy and stylish gameplay. Rumors also circulate that he keeps a girl at his home.”
The original “Tōhai” manga series was serialized in Akita Shoten’s Young Champion magazine from 2006 to 2011 and spans 12 volumes. The franchise also includes several other manga series:
“Tōhai: Hitobashira-hen” (16 volumes)
“Tōhai: Minagoroshi-hen” (10 volumes)
“Haō Densetsu Lion” (4 volumes)
“Haō Kessen Lion” (5 volumes)
“Tōhai: Cold Girl” (ongoing, with the sixth volume released on January 18)
The manga inspired a live-action film in 2013, further expanding the reach of the franchise. The upcoming anime promises to bring a new dimension to the dark and intriguing world of underground mahjong.